Friends Of Blackwater Inc

THE MISSION IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT.

FRIENDS OF BLACKWATER: WE COMMUNICATED WITH OUR MEMBERSHIP THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, MONTHLY E-NEWS, DIRECT MAIL, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. DUE TO COVID 19 WE OFTEN USED ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO PLAN THE WORK WEEK WHILE THE STAFF TOOK TURNS COMING TO WORK OR WORKING FROM HOME. WE PRODUCED MORE VIDEOS ABOUT OUR WORK USING BOUGHT EQUIPMENT FOR RECORDING VIDEOS BOUGHT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC. THESE VIDEOS CAN BE SEEN THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND COVER THE PROJECTS LISTED BELOW. WE CONTINUED TO MANAGE OUR CENTRAL OFFICE IN THOMAS, WEST VIRGINIA. WE KEPT ACCOUNTING RECORDS OF INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS AND GRANTS AND EXPENSES BY PROJECT WE ALSO CREATED AND PLACED 5 HISTORIC SIGNS IN DAVIS RIVERFRONT PARK THAT EXPLAIN THE HISTORIC SAWMILL THAT STOOD THERE FROM 1886 TO 1924. WE SUPPORTED MANY OF THE PROJECTS LISTED BELOW WITH INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS AND ALSO USED THOSE DONATIONS AS MATCHES FOR GRANTS.

PUBLIC LANDS/MONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST/ ENDANGERED SPECIES: WE CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RARE SPECIES IN THE ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS PARTICULARLY FEDERALLY PROTECTED BATS AND THE CHEAT MOUNTAIN SALAMANDER. WE COMMENTED ON LOGGING PROPOSALS ON THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST AND SOLICITED COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON THESE PROPOSED AGENCY ACTIONS. WE HELD ZOOM CALLS WITH WV'S REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS IN WASHINGTON DC TO DISCUSS INITIATIVES THAT COULD UNDERMINE THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) AND EDUCATED THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ESA, THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION ACT FUNDING AND NEW RIVER NATIONAL PARK. WE SUPPORTED NEW FUNDING FOR STATE PARKS AND ORGANIZED COMMENTS TO STATE LEGISLATORS PUSHING FOR STATE PARK PROTECTION FROM OFF ROAD VEHICLES. WE MADE NEWS STORIES ABOUT WV'S STATE PARKS AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

BLACKWATER/NORTHFORK WATERSHED: THE NORTH FORK OF THE BLACKWATER RIVER FLOWS ALONG THE BLACKWATER CANYON RAIL TRAIL AND IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY ACID MINE DRAINAGE (AMD) POLLUTION FROM OLD UNDERGROUND MINES. WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE WV DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WATERSHED PROGRAM TO DESIGN A NEW ACTIVE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY ON THE NORTH FORK. OUR DESIGNER ON THIS PROJECT IS BIOMOST. THEY ARE DESIGNING A NEW AMD TREATMENT SYSTEM THAT WILL TREAT 3 SOURCES OF POLLUTED WATER IN THE NORTH FORK VALLEY AT COKETON. WE CONTINUE TO SAMPLE WATER IN THE NORTH FORK AND IN BEAVER CREEK OF THE BLACKWATER RIVER WITH FUNDS FROM THE WV DEP 319 GRANTS PROGRAM. WE MONITORED SAND RUN OF THE NORTH FORK FOR WATER QUALITY AND FECAL COLIFORM. WE LED EDUCATIONAL TOUR ALONG THE BANKS OF THE NORTH FORK AND BEAVER CREEK. WE DEVELOPED VIDEOS ON THE BLACKWATER WATERSHED. UNDER A SEPARATE GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION AND DOMINION ENERGY AND LATER FROM THE WV DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WE REMOVED INVASIVE PLANTS FROM ALONG THE RAIL TRAIL AND THE BANKS OF THE NORTH FORK AND PLANTED NATIVE SPECIES. THE PROJECT IS BEING DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST AND WITH VOLUNTEER HELP FROM THE NCCC (NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS OF AMERICORP).

BLACKWATER CANYON & RIVER TRAIL PROJECTS: WE FINISHED A TRAIL PROJECT FUNDED BY THE WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IMPROVING TWO TRAIL OWNED BY THE USDA FOREST SERVICE ON THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST WITH VOLUNTEER SUPPORT FROM THE CONSERVATION LEGACY PROGRAM. WE USED A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE WV ABANDONED MINE LANDS PILOT PROGRAM TO BEGIN ENGINEERING FOR THE BLACKWATER LOOP TRAIL LINKING THE TOWNS OF THOMAS AND DAVIS USING THE FOREST SERVICE RAIL TRAIL AND THEN CONNECTING TO BLACKWATER FALLS STATE PARK BY BUILDING A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER THE NORTH FORK OF THE BLACKWATER AT DOUGLAS FALLS. THE PLANNER FOR THIS PROJECT IS JIM CHRISTIE OF CEC. WE EXPANDED OUR TRAIL PLANNING NORTH INTO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES AND INTO THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOLLOWING THE NORTH BRANCH OF THE POTOMAC RIVER AND THE FORMER RAILROAD GRADE OF THE WESTERN MARYLAND RAILROAD. TUCKER COUNTY RAILROAD HERITAGE: UNDER A GRANT FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA HUMANITIES FOUNDATION WE BEGAN RESEARCHING AND DESIGNING HISTORIC SIGNS FOR DOWNTOWN DAVIS TO BE PLACED IN FRONT OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON THE MAIN STREET. THESE SIGNS MATCH THE 5 HISTORIC SIGNS IN DAVIS RIVERFRONT PARK THAT EXPLAIN THE HISTORIC SAWMILL THAT STOOD THERE FROM 1886 TO 1924. WE HOSTED ZOOM WEBINARS ON FAMOUS TRIALS OF TUCKER COUNTY. WE ALSO RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA HUMANITIES COUNCIL TO PUT ON A LECTURE AND CREATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON A FAMOUS MURDER CASE IN TUCKER COUNTY IN THE 1890'S THAT PITTED A SMALL TIMBER OPERATOR AGAINST A LARGE ONE. THIS ENDED IN A DUEL. SOUTHERN PARTNERS FUND GAVE US A GRANT TO CREATE MORE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON THE FAMOUS CIVIL RIGHT CASE FROM TUCKER COUNTY CALLED "CARRIE WILLIAMS VS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION". CLIMATE CHANGE: WE RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE DUNN FOUNDATION AND FROM THE POMERANCE FAMILY TO DO CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION. THE DUNN GRANT FOR 8,000 WAS SUB-GRANTED TO THE WEST VIRGINIA CENTER ON CLIMATE CHANGE. THAT FUNDING SUPPORTED WEBINARS ON THE TOPIC WHICH LED TO WIDESPREAD MEDIA COVERAGE. THEY ALSO EXPANDED A NEW WEBSITE FOR THE CLIMATE PROGRAM. WE CONTINUED OUR EDUCATION WORK ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HIGH MOUNTAIN ECOLOGY.